Chemiluminescent devices are non-incandescent products which produce light from a chemical mixture. The basic chemiluminescent process produces light when two chemical solutions are combined. The solutions may be combined and frozen to prevent activation or can be kept physically separated prior to activation. Physical separation typically consists of a sealed frangible glass vial containing a first solution that is placed within a second solution, both of which are housed in a sealed flexible vessel. When the vessel is flexed, the glass vial is ruptured thereby releasing the vial solution which admixes wherein the reaction produces light.
The chemical solutions are generally referred to as the "oxalate" component and the "activator" component. A typical oxalate component consists of Dibutyl Phthalate, CPPO and CBPEA. A typical activator solution contains Dimethyl Phthalate, T-butyl alcohol, 90% aq. Hydrogen Peroxide and Sodium Salicylate. As previously mentioned, the components may be frozen to retard the progress of the reaction. Alternatively, the components may be separated by a vial, pellet, separating wall, and so forth. Despite the type of separation, the object of these devices is to produce usable light. For this reason, the outer vessel is made of a light-filtering plastic material which permits the light produced by the reaction to pass through the vessel walls.
Numerous patents exist that disclose improvements in the oxalate and activators, such patents extending the illumination properties of chemiluminescent devices. The unique lighting effects generated from chemiluminescent lighting devices are enhanced by the inherent optical properties of the containing vessel. The color, clarity and degree of effervescence, if any, serve to add to dissipation of light throughout the vessel wall. Some dyes or coloring agents can be used not only as color filters but as fluorescers. A fluorescent dye functions by converting light of one wavelength to another wavelength. For example, blue light from a chemiluminescent device might be converted to red light by employing an appropriate fluorescer. This red light could be produced even if there was little or no red light emitted by the chemiluminescent device. When used with novelty items, most of these improvements strive to create attractive illumination about the area around the vessel and within the vessel itself. Various methods have been attempted to produce a glittering effect. Commercial glitter products have been included in the reagent formulation in the hope that they would produce the desired effect, however the chemiluminescent light did not reflect from these particles and they merely appeared as dark floating spots.
What is lacking in the art is a novelty chemiluminescent device containing materials which create enhanced illumination properties resulting in glittering particles which have contrasting or complimentary colors